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Daily news and top headlines for food manufacturing professionals

Don't go chomping on a handful of chili peppers just yet, but there may be help for hopeful dieters in those fiery Native American fruits. Researchers have found promise in the potential of capsaicin — the chief ingredient in chili peppers — as a diet-based supplement.

The maker of Red Bull energy drinks is challenging a Virginia craft brewery's use of the word "ox" in its brand name. Red Bull has filed an opposition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office against trademark applications from Old Ox Brewery in Ashburn, Virginia.

In the latest scoop, Breyers ice cream has announced it will stop using any milk or cream from cows treated with the hormone rBST. Breyers, the largest ice cream brand in the Unilver portfolio, will begin selling its rBST-free products as soon as March.

H.J. Heinz Co. is turning up the heat this winter by rolling out a new Ketchup made with Sriracha flavor. The Pittsburgh-based company said it will begin selling the product in stores later this month.

The world's largest hamburger chain said that sales at locations in the Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region open at least 13 months dropped 12.6 percent. That showing more than offset a 0.4 percent rise at U.S. locations and a comparable 0.5 percent increase in Europe.

In an interview in the March issue of Cooking Light magazine, Mrs. Obama says Sam Kass, the family's former personal chef, had taken a stand against the boxed variety, which includes processed cheese powder among the ingredients.

Got a sweet tooth? Be sure to tell your Valentine to be cautious of what he or she buys this holiday, as See's Candies has issued a recall on some of its heart-shaped boxes of chocolates. There has been no reports of illnesses thus far, according to the Associated Press.

Competing beer-production bills will be up for a vote before an Arizona Senate committee today, but lawmakers are nudging the two sides to work things out. The Senate will hear legislation that has come out of conflict between breweries and wholesale alcohol distributors.

Farmers and farm businesses in 20 states have now filed more than 360 lawsuits against agricultural chemicals-maker Syngenta, and hundreds more may be coming as a federal judge organizes the complex case so they can move forward.

Instead of controlling what they eat at mealtimes, consumers are more likely to focus on changing their snacking habits in order to achieve weight loss success, a practical and realistic strategy that reflects the increasing importance of snacking in America today.

Mike's Hard Lemonade is in the very early stages of exploring a sale — one worth $1 billion. The Chicago-based company has initiated a sale process that is likely to attract the interest of large beverage companies.

Pepperidge Farm is recalling about 46,000 packages of bagels because they may contain peanuts or almonds that could set off a serious allergic reaction. The recall includes plain, everything and cinnamon raisin bagels. Mini bagels are also being recalled.

According to NAMI, data in the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee showed that followers of the Mediterranean diet — the diet hailed by many for its good nutrition and health outcomes — consume twice as many processed meats as included in the USDA's food patterns.

To some, today is just another day; Friday, February 6. But to many others, today is celebrated as one of the nation's top food holidays — National Frozen Yogurt Day. While the dessert seems simple enough, the production process proves opposite.

Auckland, New Zealand-based Fonterra is the world’s largest exporter of dairy products, reaching over 100 countries. Globally, the company produces over 22 billion liters of milk each year, of which 750,000 liters are handled at their Takanini facility located just outside of Auckland.

Army veteran Clark Bartholomew sued the fast-food chain after he said needles pierced his tongue and another got lodged in his small intestine after biting into a Triple Stacker. The lawsuit is headed to trial after another attempt at a settlement failed.

The First Lady visited a school on Manhattan's Upper West Side to announce a $500 million donation funding the fight against childhood obesity. The initiative encourages educators to serve healthier food and urges manufacturers to produce quality food.

Darling Ingredients Inc. plans to produce wet pet food ingredients at a former cheese plant it's bought in south-central Nebraska. The company bought the plant in Ravenna, which once was operated by Leprino Foods. The former cheese plant closed in Nov. 2013.

Fargo, North Dakota-based potato giant R.D. Offutt Co. has purchased about 12,000 acres of pine forests in four Minnesota counties with plans to clear and convert them into irrigated farmland for potatoes and other rotational crops.